Cablegate: Indonesia Earthquake Humanitarian Update #12: Program

VZCZCXRO7871
OO RUEHDT RUEHPB
DE RUEHJA #1776/01 2960657
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 230657Z OCT 09
FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3644
INFO RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 8005
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 1103
RUEHBK/AMEMBASSY BANGKOK 8869
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RUCNARF/ASEAN REGIONAL FORUM COLLECTIVE
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 JAKARTA 001776

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EAP, CA
STATE FOR USAID
USAID FOR DCHA/OFDA CCHAN, ACONVERY, RTHAYER, AND RMT
USAID FOR ANE KROSEN
BANGKOK FOR ADWYER
NSC FOR CPRATT
USUN FOR DMERCADO
GENEVA FOR NKYLOH
PACOM POLAD/J3/J5

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV CASC ECON EAID SENV ID PHUM AEMR ASEC CASC
MARR, PREL, PINR, AMGT, EAID, AQ, LA, RP, TN, VM, WS

SUBJECT: INDONESIA EARTHQUAKE HUMANITARIAN UPDATE #12: PROGRAM
MONITORING REPORT

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Summary
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1. In response to the September 30 earthquake in West Sumatra, the
USAID Disaster Assistance Response Team (USAID/DART) has programmed
more than $5.2 million in humanitarian programs. Current
implementing partners include the American Red Cross, the Indonesian
Red Cross (PMI), Mercy Corps, International Medical Corps (IMC), and
the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
These partners' programs are providing urgently-needed emergency
relief supplies as well as health; protection; shelter and
settlements; water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH); and humanitarian
coordination and information management assistance. USAID's Office
of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA) will continue to
monitor programs through at least mid-November. End summary.

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USAID/DART Program Monitoring Activities
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2. Since arriving in Padang following the September 30 earthquake,
the USAID/DART has programmed more than $5.2 million in USAID/OFDA
funding. The USAID/DART is monitoring programs to ensure that
earthquake-affected individuals receive urgently needed humanitarian
interventions.

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American Red Cross and PMI:Logistics, Relief Supplies
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3. USAID/OFDA has provided nearly $900,000 in funding and
commodities, including transport, to PMI and the American Red Cross,
which is working in Indonesia through PMI. With USAID/OFDA support,
these organizations are providing relief commodities to affected
populations.

4. Arriving via airlift on October 10, the emergency relief
supplies from the USAID/OFDA warehouse in Dubai were consigned to
PMI for distribution. The U.S. Department of Defense transported a
limited amount of these commodities for PMI via helicopter to
affected areas. The USAID/DART received reports that PMI began
distribution, after a delay, on October 18. (Comment: The
USAID/DART engaged in considerable follow-up with PMI regarding this
delay. End comment.) At present, the American Red Cross is
procuring pumps and small generators to attach to the Padang city
water system in order to develop public hydrants, replacing the
current tankering system that is supplying some city inhabitants
with water in wake of the earthquake. In addition, the American Red
Cross is procuring 5,000 family kits, 1,000 baby kits, and 10,000
sarongs for distribution to affected households.

5. On October 21, members of the USAID/DART conducted a site visit
at Lima Kota Kampung Dalam village in Pariaman District. PMI is
transporting relief supplies to the village on trucks and, from the
village, airlifting supplies to areas that are otherwise
inaccessible due to road damage. The USAID/DART observed a small
stockpile of food from the U.N. World Food Program, USAID/OFDA
commodities from the Dubai warehouse, and other emergency relief
supplies. During the site visit, one helicopter landed, was filled
with commodities, flew to the affected area and delivered the
commodities, and returned. A PMI representative remarked that
beneficiaries are "very, very happy" to receive the relief supplies.
PMI plans to access a total of four helicopters, provided by
another donor, for 10 days to airlift the commodities.

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IMC: Health and Protection
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6. USAID/OFDA has provided $500,000 to IMC for programs targeting
an affected area with a population of 387,000 people. Through this

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program, IMC is addressing the critical emergency health care and
psychosocial needs of earthquake-affected populations while also
supporting search and recovery efforts through local partner Ambulan
118. IMC is working closely with the Padang Pariaman District
Health Department (DINKES) and the Provincial Coordinating Unit for
the Management of Disaster (SATKORLAK) to ensure that all activities
are coordinated. IMC is following Indonesian Ministry of Health and
U.N. World Health Organization guidelines for patient care. Prior
to beginning operations, IMC assessed conditions and consulted with
local government officials, who chose the location in which IMC
would work based on unmet medical needs.

7. On October 19, members of the USAID/DART accompanied IMC
representatives to two community health centers and two mobile
clinics. Both mobile clinics and one of the two community health
centers were crowded, with patients waiting in line to receive
medical consultation. The other community health center had no
patients at the time of the USAID/DART visit, and IMC was unsure
what caused the lack of patients in that facility. Where local
staff were present, the USAID/DART observed IMC and local staff
working side by side. IMC is working with local health systems,
building local capacity while meeting needs.

8. IMC maintains an inventory of medication and pharmaceutical
supplies in the community health center in Patamuan Subdistrict.
IMC has an ample supply of a variety of medications, after having
received donated medications and supplies from GlaxoSmithKline and
Abbot immediately following the earthquake. IMC is able to quickly
purchase other medications or supplies as needed.

9. IMC publicizes the mobile clinic schedule so that individuals in
need of care can receive medical attention. At one mobile clinic,
IMC is serving populations who have not seen a doctor in two years.
At another mobile clinic, the earthquake damaged the only road into
the village, precluding travel in and out of the village except on
foot and small motorbike. There, IMC is providing much-needed
services to populations who otherwise would not be able to easily
access health care. IMC's community health centers and mobile
clinics will serve as a type of medical "insurance" or disaster risk
reduction measure against likely landslides and resulting injuries
in earthquake-affected areas in the coming rainy season.

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Mercy Corps: Relief Supplies, Shelter, and WASH
--------------------------------------------- ---

10. Shortly after the quake, USAID/OFDA awarded $300,000 to Mercy
Corps for emergency relief supplies, shelter and settlements
assistance, and WASH interventions. In addition, USAID/OFDA
provided $3 million to Mercy Corps to fund a consortium of
non-governmental organizations implementing shelter and settlements
interventions and providing emergency relief supplies.

11. On October 16, the USAID/DART team leader conducted a site
visit at Jua village in Pariaman District to observe the
distribution of hygiene and household kits and tool kits to 170
targeted households -- one kit per family whose house was damaged.
Mercy Corps selected the households in advance and provided numbered
tokens to each household on the list of beneficiaries. Prior to
providing the household kits, Mercy Corps staff worked with village
leaders to verify beneficiaries' names. The distribution proceeded
in an orderly manner, with community volunteers providing
significant support. Each hygiene and household kit included a
20-liter plastic jerry can with a cap, a 10-liter bucket with a lid,
bath soap, laundry soap, sanitary napkins, a water dipper for
bathing, a family-size mosquito net, two sarongs, and a blanket.

12. Following the distributions of hygiene and household kits,
families received tool kits. Groups of five households,
pre-selected due to proximity and kinship, each received one tool
kit. These kits included a wheelbarrow, two shovels, a rubble
dustpan, two wood saws, one crow bar, one hack saw, one hammer, one

JAKARTA 00001776 003 OF 003

tarpaulin, and one kerosene lantern. Mercy Corps chose the content
of these kits based on similar kits distributed following the
Yogyakarta earthquake in May 2006 that received positive feedback
from beneficiaries. Recipients expressed appreciation for the tool
kits and stated that the kits would help them to clear sites and
begin to reconstruct permanent shelter.

13. Beneficiaries expressed great appreciation for the assistance
provided through Mercy Corps. The USAID/DART did not observe ill
will, complaints over assistance, or other negative reactions that
may accompany commodity distributions. The community of Jua is
intact and strong, with significant community solidarity and social
capital. Shelter is the primary need in this community, and some
households will likely require more assistance than others in
reconstruction, based on limited resources, access to remittances,
and the household labor profile. Because members of the community
tend to work together, the USAID/DART anticipates that extended
family relationships will do much to help meet the needs of the more
vulnerable members of the community.

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OCHA:Humanitarian Coordination,Information Management
--------------------------------------------- ---

14. USAID/OFDA has provided $400,000 to OCHA to support
humanitarian coordination and information management. The
USAID/DART has not monitored OCHA per se but has had significant
interaction with OCHA and has worked within the organizational
structure led by OCHA.

15. OCHA was slow to start but performed as well as could be
expected in the early maelstrom of the humanitarian response to the
earthquake. The USAID/DART has observed good coordination in many
clusters of the system that OCHA is coordinating. OCHA has offered
to host cluster meetings in locations closer to earthquake-affected
areas, if participants are interested and if such meetings would be
useful. OCHA is compiling a database listing who is doing what
where and has created a survey of surveys. Moreover, OCHA recently
finished compiling baseline data for earthquake-affected areas.
OCHA is committed to being in Padang for three months, the duration
of the Humanitarian Response Plan.

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Continuation of Program Monitoring Efforts
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16. The USAID/DART will continue monitoring programs implemented
with USAID/OFDA funding through October 25, when the USAID/DART is
scheduled to depart Padang for Jakarta. From October 25 through at
least mid-November, USAID/OFDA field officers stationed in the
USAID/OFDA field office in Padang will continue to meet with
implementing partners, monitor programs, and assess humanitarian
needs due to the September 30 earthquake.

Hume#

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